United States

Offshore could supply half eastern states' electricity

UNITED STATES: Offshore wind farms positioned around the United States' densely populated East Coast could provide half of all the energy needed to power that region, according to a study released this week.

The report, ‘Untapped Wealth: The Potential of Offshore Energy to Deliver Clean, Affordable Energy and Jobs,’ by international ocean conservation organisation Oceana, says offshore wind potential for the region is so huge that Delaware, Massachusetts and North Carolina could equal their current entire electricity generation with wind.

Additionally, New Jersey, Virginia and South Carolina could all produce significantly more than half of their electricity via offshore wind farms.

Oceana says the development of such East Coast wind farms could also create between 133,000 and 212,000 jobs a year.

The study was released on the same day as news surfaced about a planned offshore East Coast wind farm near of Ocean City, Maryland.

State and federal planners have this week narrowed down the sites they deem acceptable for a proposed 200-turbine project being developed by Bluewater Wind, according to local newspaper the Delmarva Daily Times.

Untapped Wealth: The Potential of Offshore Energy to Deliver Clean, Affordable Energy and Jobs is available here.

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